British lamb cuts

Lamb is the most naturally tender of the three, and one of the most rewarding to cook. Most of ours comes from a local farmer, so we know where it's from and how it's been raised.

The butcher's rule of thumb: lamb comes from sheep under a year old, so most cuts are tender. The same rule applies as with beef and pork. The prime cuts along the back (the best end, loin and saddle) suit quick roasting and grilling, and are best served pink. The neck, shoulder, breast and shanks work harder and carry more fat and collagen. Cook those low and slow and they'll fall off the bone. Lamb fat carries a lot of the flavour, so leave some on.

Front

The neck, shoulder and front legs.

Scrag end

Also called: scrag, round neck
The top of the neck, nearest the head. It's bony, with small pieces of meat and plenty of connective tissue. It's not one for the grill, but it's ideal for the stewpot.

Best for: stews, broths and hotpot.
Butcher's tip: cook it on the bone. The bones and collagen give a stew its body. Simmer for a couple of hours and the meat will fall away on its own.

Best neck

The lower part of the neck, between the scrag end and the shoulder. It's meatier than the scrag end, and it gives two very different cuts: middle neck chops, the traditional meat for a proper Lancashire hotpot, and the neck fillet, a lean, well-marbled strip that's one of the most underrated cuts on the lamb.

Best for: Lancashire hotpot, stews, and neck fillet grilled or slow-cooked.
Butcher's tip: neck fillet is a butcher's favourite. You can grill it hot and serve it pink, or braise it slowly, and it's brilliant either way and far cheaper than loin.

Shoulder

The top of the front leg and the shoulder blade. It's well marbled with fat and full of flavour. It's sold whole, halved into blade and knuckle ends, or boned and rolled. Diced, it's the go-to lamb for curries, tagines and kebabs.

Best for: slow roasting, pulled lamb, curries, tagines and kebabs.
Butcher's tip: a whole shoulder roasted low for four to five hours with garlic and rosemary will pull apart with a spoon. It's the most forgiving lamb roast there is.

Fore shank

The lower front leg, below the shoulder. It's lean and sinewy, with lots of collagen around the bone, which turns rich and sticky when it's slow cooked.

Best for: braising and slow cooking in red wine or stock.
Butcher's tip: a fore shank is the right size for a single portion. Braise it for two and a half to three hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.

Middle

Along the back, the prime cutlets and loin, with the breast below.

Cutlets

Also called: rack of lamb
The ribs between the middle neck and the loin, along the top of the back. It's tender and sweet, and it's where lamb cutlets and the rack of lamb come from. Racks are often French-trimmed, with the bones scraped clean, and two racks can be interlocked into a guard of honour or tied into a crown roast for a special occasion.

Best for: roast rack of lamb, cutlets, guard of honour and crown roast.
Butcher's tip: roast a rack hot and fast, about 20 minutes for pink, then rest it for ten minutes before you slice between the bones.

Loin

The middle of the back, between the best end and the chump. It's lean and tender. Loin chops, noisettes (boned, rolled rounds of loin) and the cannon, the lean eye of the loin, all come from here.

Best for: loin chops, noisettes, and pan-roasted cannon.
Butcher's tip: the cannon is all lean meat with no waste. Sear it all over in a hot pan, finish it in the oven for a few minutes and serve it pink.

Saddle

Both loins left joined across the backbone, making one large, tender joint. Cut across into thick slices, the saddle gives you Barnsley chops, a proper Northern double chop.

Best for: special-occasion roasting and Barnsley chops.
Butcher's tip: a whole saddle is a showpiece joint. Order it a few days ahead and we'll prepare it for you.

Breast

The underside of the lamb, below the best end and loin. It has thin layers of fat and lean meat, and it's sold on the bone or boned and rolled. It's one of the cheapest cuts on the lamb and one of the tastiest.

Best for: slow roasting, stuffing and rolling, and lamb riblets.
Butcher's tip: roast it slowly so the fat renders out, then turn the heat up at the end to crisp the outside.

Back

The hind end: the chump, the leg and the lower leg.

Chump

Also called: chump end
Where the loin meets the leg. It's meaty, with a little more fat than the loin, and that gives it more flavour. It's sold as chump chops or as a small boned joint.

Best for: chump chops, chump steaks and small roasting joints.
Butcher's tip: a boned chump makes a great roast for two. Roast it hot for 20 to 25 minutes and serve it pink.

Leg

The hind leg. It's large, lean and meaty, and it's sold whole, halved into fillet end and shank end, or cut into leg steaks. It's the classic Sunday roast lamb joint.

Best for: roasting, butterflied leg for the barbecue, leg steaks and kebabs.
Butcher's tip: ask us to butterfly a leg (bone it out and open it flat). Marinate it overnight and it'll cook on the barbecue in about 40 minutes, with no carving struggles.
The hind leg. Large, lean and meaty, sold whole, halved into fillet end and shank end, or as leg steaks.

Hind shank

The lower back leg. It's meatier than the fore shank, lean and full of collagen.

Best for: braising, slow cooking in red wine, and tagines.
Butcher's tip: it's a hearty portion for a big appetite. Braise it low and slow until the meat comes away from the bone.